PARDON

3 years ago

Feds to Widen Drug Clemency

Scott Olson

The Department of Justice announced Monday that it will expand the criteria it uses to decide which drug offenders will be recommended to the president for clemency. Exact details will be released later this week, but Attorney General Eric Holder said in a video address that thousands of prisoners may be eligible for reduced sentences. "There are still too many people in federal prison who were sentenced under the old regime—and who, as a result, will have to spend far more time in prison than they would if sentenced today for exactly the same crime," he said.